TitleDetection of breaking sea waves by high resolution radar IKI-2M

Two polarization mobile X-band radar IKI-2M, developed by Space Research Institute, Russ. Acad. Sci., has sufficiently high resolution of order 5–7 m both in distance and in azimuthally direction and is able to study sufficiently small details of the sea surface. This paper outlines the results of the sea surface observations, performed in 2008 in Gelendzhik, the Black Sea, at low grazing angles. Using radar images of the sea surface, presented in “time-distance” format, two kinds of wave breaking were observed: traditional “macro-breakings”, answering to long gravity waves, and “micro-breakings”, which correspond to small-scale breaking waves of meso-scale (decimeter) range, which never were registered by radar so far. These two kinds of wave-breakings differ by their intensities, velocities of movement, life-times and polarization characteristic. “Macro-breakings” are produced by long gravity waves with velocities, exceeding 5–8 m/s. They demonstrate rather long life-times about 10–20 s and sufficiently high radar cross-section up to 5–10 m2. In distinction to the “macro-breakings”, the “micro-breakings” are generated by slow meso-waves with velocities about 0.5–2.5 m/s. They do not produce the foam, have short life-time about 2–3 s and sometimes demonstrate very high radar cross-section up to several m2. Both types of breaking waves may produce significant clatter for marine radar and should be taken into account in solution of problems, connected with the safety of navigation and shipping

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